Psalm 49, side by side

¹Hear this, all you peoples. Listen, all you inhabitants of the world,

¹Hear this, all ye people; give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world:

²both low and high, rich and poor together.

²Both low and high, rich and poor, together.

³My mouth will speak words of wisdom. My heart will utter understanding.

³My mouth shall speak of wisdom; and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding.

⁴I will incline my ear to a proverb. I will solve my riddle on the harp.

⁴I will incline mine ear to a parable: I will open my dark saying upon the harp.

⁵Why should I fear in the days of evil, when iniquity at my heels surrounds me?

⁵Wherefore should I fear in the days of evil, when the iniquity of my heels shall compass me about?

⁶Those who trust in their wealth, and boast in the multitude of their riches—

⁶They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches;

⁷none of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give God a ransom for him.

⁷None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him:

⁸For the redemption of their life is costly, no payment is ever enough,

⁸(For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever:)

⁹that he should live on forever, that he should not see corruption.

⁹That he should still live for ever, and not see corruption.

¹⁰For he sees that wise men die; likewise the fool and the senseless perish, and leave their wealth to others.

¹⁰For he seeth that wise men die, likewise the fool and the brutish person perish, and leave their wealth to others.

¹¹Their inward thought is that their houses will endure forever, and their dwelling places to all generations. They name their lands after themselves.

¹¹Their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue for ever, and their dwelling places to all generations; they call their lands after their own names.

¹²But man, despite his riches, doesn’t endure. He is like the animals that perish.

¹²Nevertheless man being in honour abideth not: he is like the beasts that perish.

¹³This is the destiny of those who are foolish, and of those who approve their sayings.

¹³This their way is their folly: yet their posterity approve their sayings. Selah.

¹⁴They are appointed as a flock for Sheol. Death shall be their shepherd. The upright shall have dominion over them in the morning. Their beauty shall decay in Sheol, far from their mansion.

¹⁴Like sheep they are laid in the grave; death shall feed on them; and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their beauty shall consume in the grave from their dwelling.

¹⁵But God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol, for he will receive me.

¹⁵But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me. Selah.

¹⁶Don’t be afraid when a man is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased;

¹⁶Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased;

¹⁷for when he dies he will carry nothing away. His glory won’t descend after him.

¹⁷For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away: his glory shall not descend after him.

¹⁸Though while he lived he blessed his soul— and men praise you when you do well for yourself—

¹⁸Though while he lived he blessed his soul: and men will praise thee, when thou doest well to thyself.

¹⁹he shall go to the generation of his fathers. They shall never see the light.

¹⁹He shall go to the generation of his fathers; they shall never see light.

²⁰A man who has riches without understanding, is like the animals that perish.

²⁰Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish.